‘Drunk’ driver in Pietermaritzburg kills jogging couple

The Police in Pitermaritzburg are searching for a jogger whom they believe was killed by a drunk driver, who then allegedly dumped her body in Dalton.

A drunk driver allegedly lost control of his vehicle, struck the pair and allegedly continued to drive with the boyfriend’s body on the bonnet and Mkhasibe up against the windshield. The horrific accident, which is believed to have claimed the lives of the couple, occurred on Main Road, Dalton.

Sithabile Mkhasibe is 27-year-old, who is an engineer who had recently returned to the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands from the Eastern Cape to be closer to her family, has been missing since Friday night after she and her boyfriend were hit by a car while jogging.

Her boyfriend, who the police did not name on Sunday, eventually slid off the bonnet and was declared dead on the scene.

There was a third jogger, who was not injured, witnessed the incident.

Mkhasibe’s brother Andile Mlotshwa told The Witness police had informed him that the driver of the car that hit Mkhasibe, had allegedly admitted to police that he continued driving while Mkhasibe was stuck on the car windscreen and then dumped her body in a sugarcane field in Dalton. Dalton is a small town about 45 minutes outside of the provincial capital.

“The problem we have is that he is saying he cannot remember the exact spot that he dumped her body,” he said.

Mkhasibe’s frantic family are desperate, not knowing whether she is in a hospital, a mortuary or whether her lifeless body is lying in sugarcane field in Dalton is devastating them.

Andile Mlotshwa said that they were alerting the public in the hope that she could be found, dead or alive.

He also said that his sister had been visiting her boyfriend in Wartburg.

Andile Mlotshwa added by saying “he continued driving while my sister was stuck on the windshield. What we have been told is that he had noticed that she was not breathing anymore and then decided to dump her in a sugarcane field”.

Mlotshwa the brother to Sithabile, who said he was told the details of the incident by the SAPS, said the driver drove to the accident scene on Saturday where he was recognised by an eyewitness.

“Luckily police were already on the scene and also the other friend who had survived. He was able to identify him,” he said.

Mlotshwa said “my sister liked jogging to keep fit”.

Andile also said that “she was living a healthy lifestyle. She always encouraged us to also follow suit”.

Mkhasibe had recently “abandoned her good paying” job in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, to be close to family.

“Family was everything to her. That is why she abandoned her engineering job.

“She had her whole life ahead of her. She studied engineering at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and she had no children,” he said.

The Police spokesperson Major Thulani Zwane confirmed a case had been opened at Dalton police station.

“The 37-year-old driver of the car will appear [on Monday] at New Hanover Magistrate’s Court for a bail hearing.

According to Spokesperson Major Thulani Zwane “he is facing charges of culpable homicide and drunk driving” .